Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-08-06
CHAPTER V.

and asked where she was.
"Well," said her mother, "when / got up
this morning found note put outside my
door, in which But here it il, you can
read it for yourself" and she gave me the
slip of paper, on which the following was
written:
DEAREST M---.-1t is just dawn, and
am off to the hills to get Mr.. @ a bloom
of the lily he wants, SO don't expect me till
you see me. have taken the white donkey,
and nurse and a couple of boys are coming
with me-also something to eat, as | may be
away all day, for am determined to get tie
lily if / have to go twenty miles for it.
"FLossIE"
"I hope she will be all right" / said,
little anxiously. 81 never meant her to
trouble after the flower"
"Ah, Flossie can look after herself" said
her mother; ''she often goes off in this way
like a true child of the wilderness" But Nh.
Mackenzie, who came in just then and saw
the note for the first time, looked rather
grave, though he said nothing.
After breakfast was over / took him aside
and asked him if it would not be possible to
send after the girl and get her back, having
in view the possibility Of there still being
SOIile AldSdl HdllSluS ao'"0, az "AiOoS AeAAAS
she might come to harm~
II fear it would be of nj use" he answered.
''She may be fifteen miles off by now, and it
is impossible to say what path she has taken.
There are the hills;n and he pointed to a long
range of rising ground stretching almost par
allel with the course followed by the river
Tana, but gradually sloping down to dense
bush clad plain about five miles short of tho
house.
Here suggested that we might get up the
great tree over the house and search the
country round with a spyglass; and this,
after Mr.. Mackenzie had given some orders
to his people to try and follow Flossie's spoor,
we did
The ascent of the mighty tree was rather
jumpy performance, even with a sound
rope ladder fixed at both ends TO climb up, at
least to a landsman but Good came up like u
lamp lighter.
On reaching the height at which the first
fern shaped boughs sprung from the bole, we
stepped without any difficulty upon a plat
form made of boards, nailed from one bough
to another, and large enough to accommodate
a dozen people.
But look as we would, we could see no
signs of F2ossie and her donkey, so at last
had to come down disappointed. On reach
ing the veranda found Umslopogaas sitting
there, slowly and lightly sharpening his ak
with a small milestone he always carried
with him.
"What doest thou, Umslopogaas9" asked.
II smell blood" was the answer; and L
could get no more out of him.
After dinner we again went up the tree
and searched the surrounding country with
spy glass; but without result.
Shortly after the people whom Mr.. Mac
kenzie had sent out to search for Flossie
returned, stating that they had followed the
spoor of the donkey for a couple of miles, and
had then lost it on some stony ground, nor
could they discover it again. They had,
however, secured the country far and wide,
but without success
After this the afternoon wore drearily on,
and toward evening, there still being no signs
of Flossie, our anxiety grew very keen, As
for the poor mother, she was quite Frustrated
10y her fears, and no wonder, but the father
kept his head wonderfully we'll Everything
that could be done was done; people were
sent out in all directions shots were fired,
and continuous outlook kept from the
great tree, but without avail.
And then at last it grew dark, and still no
sign of fair haired little Flossie.
Ats o'clock we had supper. It was but
sorrowful meal, and Mrs. Mackenzie did not
appear at it, We three also were very silent,
for in addition to our natural anxiety as TO
the fate of the child we We're weighed down
by the sense that we had brought this trouble
on the head of our kind host When supper
was nearly at an end | made an excuse to
leave the table l wanted to get outside and
think the situation over | went on to the
veranda, and having lit my pipe sat down
on a seat about dozen feet from the right
hand end of the structure, which was, as the
reader may remember, exactly opposite one
of the narrow doors of the protecting wall
that inclosed the house and flower garden.
l had been sitting there perhaps six or seven
minutes when l thought l heard the door
move. looked in that direction and listened
but being unable TO make out anything CON
cluded that | must have been mistaken II
was a darliish night the moon not having yet
risen.
Another minute passed, when suddenly
something round fell with a soft but heavy
thud upon the stone flooring of the veranda
and came bounding and rolling past me For
a moment did not rise, but sat wondering
what it could be. Finally l concluded it
must have been an animal. Just then, how
ever, another idea struck me, and got up
quick enough Tie thing lay quite still
few feet beyond me. / put down my hands
towards it and it did not move; clearly it was
not an animal My hand touched it. 1t was
soft and warm and heavy. Hurriedly /
lifted it and held it up against the faint star
light
1t was a newly severed human head.
/ am an old hand and not easily upset, but
l own that that CHASTITY sight made me feel
sick How had the thing come therel Whose
was it2 / put it down and ran to the little
door way. i could see nothing, hear nobody.
| was about to go out into the darkness be-
You'd, but remembering that TO do 50 was to
expose myself to the risk of being stabbed,
! drew back, strut the door, and bolted it.
Then returned to the veranda, and in rs
careless a voice as l could command, called
Curtis. 1 fear, however, that my tones must
have betrayed me, for not only Sir Henry